William Faulkner accomplished what no man before him and few men after him were able to do. Not only did he write some of the most important and influential American literature in history; he told stories that described to the world the inner workings of the Southern mentality. Faulkner pioneered many literary and psychological fronts in a way that is unmatched even today. William Faulkner won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950 and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction twice, once in 1955 and then again in 1963 (Minter). Faulkner's works, although now unusually read by young Americans, show not only the socioeconomic aspects of rural life in the South, but also a lifestyle and set of mentalities that still influence the culture, views, practices and even the daily life of the South. On September 25, 1897, at Murry Cuthbert Faulkner and Maud Butler Faulkner, in New Albany, near Oxford, Mississippi, where he spent much of his life, William Faulkner became one of the most influential authors in American literature (Minter). Faulkner spent his childhood listening to stories told by family and neighbors. Most of these stories revolved around his prominent great-grandfather, "The Colonel", who was a Civil War hero and plantation owner. In response to these stories, William Faulkner invented a fictional county that showed the world the effect the past was having, and some would say is still having, on the Deep South and its people and social classes. Many residents of Oxford and surrounding towns often claimed to remember hearing, under various pretexts, nearly every story told within the bindings of Faulkner's novels. During his schoolyard years, Faulkner, although athletic, was often dis...... middle of paper.. ....iteration. He is also expertly skilled at giving the world a glimpse into the macabre and taboo that is often ignored when taking an outside perspective on a person's life. Faulkner's many talents as an author have led to numerous awards and solidified his place as one of the most influential and noteworthy authors in the history of American literature. Works Cited "The Novelist William Faulkner Is Born." Novelist William Faulkner is born. Np, nd Web. 18 April 2014. "William Faulkner - Biographical." William Faulkner – Biographical. Np, nd Web. April 18, 2014Minter, David. “William Faulkner.” American National Biography (from Oxford University Press): Research Starter. Network. April 18, 2014 Faulkner, William. Absalom, Absalom! New York: Modern Library, 1951. Print.Faulkner, William. Light of August: the corrected text. New York: vintage, 1990. Print.